Some of us know this feeling - helplessness - we will spend the next Christmas at our mother-in-law. Mommy is not that scary at all, she wasn't an inspiration for a certain Providence loner (she can't be that old! Can she?) and it won't be snow anyway. The car is at the bailiff's, you have to go by train... Boston Sprinter is the first DLC from the Rush Hour Season Ticket. Once again we play the role of a DTG beta tester and sit at the controls of one of the three machines: ACS-64 V AMTK by Siemens F40PH-3C MBTA by General Motors EMD CTC-3 Cab Car by MBB The Journey is divided into five Chapters. The first two are a folk feast organized by MBTA, the other two - the AMTRAK disco. Lately, I like to think of each final chapter of Journey as a crème de la crème - that is my expectation. How satisfied have I been? Very different than I expected. But from the beginning. Confession I have always associated American trains with freight operations. I have this imagination, passenger transport in the USA is a bit against nature. They disturb the unnecessarily majestic procession of holy intermodal. I'm not a big fan of wagons with windows, and I definitely like to stay away from all kinds of commuter trains. Or is it already in the past? DB BR 423, DB BR 101, Cathcart Circle. Until recently, I thought they were such oversized trams, but I must repent, and I must do so immediately. Braking the train is a lot of fun and it's good when we have more opportunities to do so. Also (skipping the great DB BR 155 and the nice Dash-8) the best trains in the game are the people transport kits. I'm a terrible DB-lover and can't praise the British DLCs (except for CC, because I hardly own the others), but I have to admit - TSW shines when it comes to passenger trains. Rush Hour is the concept of feeding on this foundation. Quite a successful, although underdeveloped concept. Red-NEC-k Meeting with MBTA is a real treat. The F40 is brilliant and sounds fantastic - almost as good as the Class 314 EMU, and sometimes even better (coaches, external camera). I had some doubts about the brakes (they work differently from the freight locomotives I'm used to) but the people of goodwill on this forum have helped me achieve enlightenment. However, I am still in a quandary - a reduction of 10 PSI gives the impression that we are driving a heavy coal train. Maybe it should be like that? I do not know. More importantly, it is a lot of fun. It is not easy to be on time, it is not easy to drive on snow-covered tracks, it is not easy to stop in the right place. Easy to learn, hard to master. We have to control the train all the time, although the Boston-Providence route is relatively flat. This basically applies to both MBTA and AMTRAK: This DLC is more about operating the train than to just drive. Ain't no "AFB". To be on speed, to be on time - it is not easy here. Plastic Disco Relax The ACS-64 is another pearl in the crown. Ecstatic in-cab sounds. The locomotive is almost complete, although the cruise control is missing. 3D models are lovely. The whole, together with the scenery and winter setting, makes a very nostalgic impression. This train is like a 90's disco in Poland - one of a kind and a bit tacky. I looked at some photos from inside this locomotive and there really is so much plastic there! Siemens /o\ It has its charm, but in the daylight, it seems flat and unnatural. This is not TSW's fault in my opinion. The modeling is very good. I apologize to all lovers of such decor - I do not like this cockpit. This is modernity that has no identity of its own. Of course, I realize this is completely subjective. On the other hand, driving with ACS-64 is a real delight. The F40 and ACS complement each other perfectly. This DLC is very complete in this regard. There are several factors. Rush(ed) Hour The last update made some changes. The most representative one concerns passengers. I recommend the great articles on this topic on Dovetail Live. My subjective assessment is 4/5. It's okay, you can feel the difference, but I was expecting something more. Boston - Sprinter is a training ground for the improvements introduced - I know that. No doubt these elements will evolve. We already have to talk about changes for the better. Virtual tracks have gained a bit more authenticity. Another non-new but important element is the AI scenery trains. It was the first time they were used on such a scale. What's this about? In my opinion, the flagship element of fun in TSW are Timetables. I used to be excited about scenarios, but today I know - it was just a "youthful rebellion". Previous DLCs were about Timetable with a certain number of services - all (most?) were driveable by the player. This meant we were only moving along a modeled stretch of track. There were some big limitations to this. Large junction stations give rise to many railway routes. Boston South Station supports (in-game) not only player-driveable services but also other (rail) connections, not only Boston-Providence. This makes the world depicted come to life. Boston South Station is ultra-busy, and for the first time, this is looking as it should. There are ~ 200 services at our disposal; the next ~ 500 are AI scenery trains - commuting to the station, departing from the station, depot moves, etc. If someone hesitates whether to pay for the Season Ticket - this is definitely an argument for yes. There are a few mishaps, especially in the maneuvers around the depot. It is impossible (not without levitation...) to complete one of the quests (Chapter IV, #66 Boston - Depot), but this is a nuance. I don't understand how it could have been overlooked (and not turned off). I will never understand sloppy behavior, but for most, it is a secondary detail. Technical issues are not a very strong point of this premiere at all. If someone likes to look for arguments, I recommend the Technical Reports section on this forum. I will not make fun of DTG here again. Boston - Sprinter is a great DLC, and many of these issues may not be related to the route itself, but due to the 4.26 update. I will limit myself to 'eulogizing' about the route itself. Let it snow Matt said during one of the streams - this is a themed DLC. I got the impression, it's about winter, about some fancy super special winter improvements. Well, there's a bit of this snow... I think a bit too much for me. But it looks crazy! It is very moody. The overall look of the route, design, execution - there is power. I applaud, it looks better than good. I really like these 'herds' of freight wagons on sidings, especially when approaching Providence (with Twin Peaks OST!) and I really like the greenery. The trees are arranged with care and look very authentic. I'm curious - is it an SPG asset or something custom? The whole scenery is very diverse, which makes the journey not tedious. After I got through all these drifts (the entire Journey...), I ran to the menu and took a ride in the summer, under a cloudless sky. WOW. Just WOW. I have a slight reservation only with respect to the textures on the buildings. In the case of German routes, the surroundings can look photorealistic - it's too pastel here. And again - subjective, a matter of taste. Undoubtedly, the scenery is very nice and complete (from an engineer's perspective / in-cab). Hiking around (I believe I can fly) may surprise you, but to me, this is Train Sim World. Train delayed (Journey & gameplay) It is not as innovative as the CRR. It's not quite as thoughtful as Hamburg - Lübeck (Chapter V, Dog Weather!). These are not Cathcart Circle scenarios. It is... just... normal. It is very good too! As for the scenarios, two stuck in my memory: Foundations and Marching In. I like to start on foot, I like to start at dawn, I like to role-play. It was a bit too little for me (but it was). There is nothing to complain about. Timetable, on the other hand, shines and in my opinion, this DLC has a great replayability potential. Also because it is difficult and sometimes even impossible to achieve (punctuality?). I am not an expert on US safety systems, but I have some concerns that not everything is working properly. This is pure speculation. I played basically (the cab car has that thing on the ceiling ) without the HUD, with ATC/ACSES stuff ON and that was good. A few moments (depot maneuvers again...) cause irritation, but the overall impression is very positive. And those alert sounds at ACS. Poetry. It sounds almost fetish. Chapter V is not a crème de la crème this time. It is not spectacular enough. Copy-paste from the timetable. It was possible to change the weather at least. It is just good - nothing more. Train interrupted I promised not to make fun of DTG on this occasion, but I have to mention it. I counted twelve game crashes. What did that mean in practice? People familiar with TSW know it is dangerous to use the save game option. Eventually, I started to do it so as not to waste so much time, not to start over and over again. Two things. Okay: After loading the game save, my objectives didn't break even once. Bad: After loading the game save, the whole lighting in F40 stops working. That's it. I understand it, I'm used to it (or maybe that's just what I only think). The technical aspects of TSW are room for improvement. Subjectively about some objective things The circadian cycle is sometimes broken (lighting). Why set up so much overcast in Journey? After all, these drastic changes in the level of lighting look unsightly. Weather. This snow mist creates a strobe effect in the spotlight. You can go mad sometimes in the cockpit Okay, I'm exaggerating a bit. Aesthetics, aesthetics, aesthetics. UEngine's technical limitations; this is the current state of the code; it's not that important blah blah blah. I would like (and not only for myself) to see these elements redesigned. Core Game. Not Boston Sprinter. Do new customers understand this? I always ask that. In a few words A great DLC. Great trains, great set design, great timetable. In my opinion, the AI scenery trains are the best improvement of the game in years. The sounds (overall) are very satisfying (although there are a few complaints). Optimization is good - I play on the calculator. The ACS eats much more fps than the F40. I prefer freight trains (there were not enough of them here - moving ones), but I had a lot of fun. I felt almost no weariness, but only a little tiredness with the ubiquitous snow, but it may be the fault of the core-game weather system, lighting system. AI dispatcher - send to training. I recommend it with a clear conscience. There are a few flaws, but the good won (again) this time. I don't like going to my mother-in-law for Christmas, but it was nice as always. The proper old school arrived. Forgive me for so many words. This DLC. Nostalgia. A question for DTG at the end - will you start to be polite? Scenery (8.5/10) Technical (6/10) Trains (9.5/10) Sounds (9/10) Fun (10/10) Approved
I surprised myself. Unfortunately, my options were NORMAL screenshots quality (instead of HIGH). The sky is probably by londonmidland Thanks for the kind word!
